A Hearts Beat
by showmethelove
Summary: If there was one thing Sakura knew, it was that when a heart skips a beat it means true love. Of course, knowing and accepting are two very different things. Neji x Sakura
1. A Heart's Beat

**A/N: Hey guys! This is my first story, a oneshot, kind of a... debut... you know? Anyway, it's something I wrote a long time ago, but never really got around to editing or anything. So I just finished editing it, and I thought it would be a good first story. I'm working on a chapter story right now, called My Hime and I'll try to get it up whenever I can, so please check it out when you have time! Thanks, and please review!**

**Title: **_A Hearts Beat_

**Summary: **_If there was one thing Sakura knew, it was that when a heart skips a beat it means true love. Of course, knowing and accepting are two very different things. NejiSaku_

**Rating: **_T for Teens_

**Pairing: **_Neji Hyuuga x Sakura Haruno_

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Naruto… yet! :P_

_**Song lyrics**_

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

_Emphasis_

A Hearts Beat

_**When I came**_

_**To tell you, to see you**_

_**I was shocked, I was afraid**_

_**I never thought you'd be that way**_

'_**Cause when I saw her, I cried**_

_**When I told you, you lied**_

_**Now all the sadness is overwhelming**_

_**And I think I've already died.**_

_**Can't you remember the good times?**_

_**I guess not, and now I guess I know why**_

_**You were seeing her all those times**_

The walk to Ichiraku seemed long and hard to Sakura, it was if the road in front of her decided that it should be longer. But that was stupid, she was just really nervous.

She was nervous because today she was going to confess her love for Sasuke Uchiha. The thought made her squeamish. Why couldn't he be bad looking or something? Then saying those three simple words would be a lot… well, simpler.

But of course he had to be drop-dead gorgeous, and she had to be ordinary (besides her fluorescent pink hair and emerald green eyes) Sakura Haruno. The girl who had been pining after the Uchiha for years, even when he betrayed the village and left… they got him back eventually though, and that was the only good part.

Whatever, she cleared her mind and glanced over at Neji Hyuuga, who was accompanying her. She had to admit, if she wasn't totally in love with Sasuke, Neji would be her husband by now, or at least her boyfriend. The two had grown really close over the years.

In fact, closer than Sasuke and she had ever been… probably closer than they would ever be.

But love was what mattered. And Sakura knew a test.

The rule to the test was simple: be true to yourself.

The way to complete the test was to picture the one you thought you loved and see if your heart skipped a beat.

And Sakura figured it was time to try it.

Conjuring the best image she could of Sasuke, she stared at it, and waited… and waited… and waited. She probably waited for a good ten minutes. But still, nothing happened.

"Faulty test…" She mumbled under her breath, because she found it hard to believe that she didn't love him. Besides, her heart needed to be loved, and so because Sasuke was handsome and strong, he fit the bill.

In fact, Sasuke was her perfect match, or at least that was what she believed.

'Maybe Sasuke is my true love!' Sakura thought, her eyes filled with hearts at the romantic thought.

At the back of her mind, though, Sakura knew whatever she felt for Sasuke was merely a crush, but still, she continued to daydream.

And so Neji was left to walk with a breathing corpse, and he was annoyed. Why did she always have to think of that… _Uchiha_? He wasn't even that great! Why couldn't Sakura just love him?

He sighed, she was so blind. It seemed obvious that he should just give up on their relationship, but he just… couldn't. Ever since he met her he had been drawn to her, irrevocably. Friendship was all he received though. And it made him try to ignore her, and dislike her, but he couldn't. He could never dislike something so pure.

Which was why he was walking with her right now, trying to help her in any way he could, even if it meant helping her into the arms of another man. He scoffed, if you could call Sas-gay a man.

But this was important to her, Neji knew, noticing how her eyes widened in excitement as Ichiraku came into sight. And it hurt him. But he still continued to walk on.

Sakura, on the other hand, was barely walking; she was more speed-walking. She was too excited to be slow… she moved up into a jog. What if she was late and Sasuke was about to leave? She couldn't let that happen. But someone grabbed her hand, and she whipped around. It was Neji. She knew why he'd stopped her, she must have looked too anxious. An unattractive anxiousness that had made Sasuke push her away before.

So she slowed to a walk again, and she was given time to think, and look around. As she scanned the places around her, something caught her eyes… the boy beside her.

Because of the wind, Neji's hair was being ruffled gently, and his face was being lit up by the sun. If she were honest with herself, Neji looked more like an angel than anything she'd ever seen before.

_Her heart skipped a beat_, and her breath came out in a gasp. He was so… so… handsome.

"Anything wrong?" He tilted his head towards her, worry flashing through his gentle pale eyes.

_What do I say, what do I say? _She panicked, taking another deep breath, before she ultimately decided to push the thought out of her head, flashing Neji a smile and walking on, "I can't wait to tell him!"

She still couldn't get rid of that picture, though, and it annoyed her! With Ichiraku's only a couple steps away, she couldn't be thinking of Neji!

Abruptly, her train of thought ended, because of something she saw… something horrifying… or at least something Sakura proclaimed to be horrifying.

Ino and Sasuke were pressed up against each other, obviously in a romantic way. The thought made Sakura want to sink to the ground, and to make matters worse, Sasuke lent down and kissed Ino.

"W-what…?" Sakura managed to choke out as her eyes filled with tears. She stood in shock, staring at the couple for a moment longer, before turning and running.

Neji moved immediately, walking towards Sasuke with an enraged expression on his face. By now, the couple had broken apart, giving Neji enough room to grab Sasuke by the shirt and punch him in the face.

"How could you do that to Sakura!" It wasn't a question, rather a statement.

"Hn." That was all the Uchiha said, and although Neji wanted to punch him again, he couldn't. He had to follow Sakura… and he did. Pushing the smirking Uchiha onto the floor, he turned and ran the way Sakura had, knowing that he would find her; in fact, he could see her curled up in a ball in the distance.

He loved her with all his heart, and he knew he would never love another the same, even if she would never love him back. He just wanted to be there for her, and right now that mean healing the scars on her wounded heart.

Though, he could still hardly believe Ino and Sasuke had been together, let alone kissed. Sure, Sasuke was an ass, but he never thought he would go this far. Neji knew Sasuke wasn't interested in Ino, but the guy had issues, and he liked to hurt people. Especially Sakura.

But it was still rather shocking. And then it hit him and Sakura, who had been thinking similarly: Ino and Sasuke were together, and probably had been together for a while before that.

'That explains where Ino and Sasuke were at the parties.' Neji thought wryly as he approached Sakura.

_**Why didn't I tell you sooner?**_

_**Why didn't you listen better?**_

_**Why didn't we get together-er?**_

_**There was no reason why I was being such a coward**_

_**Now my chance is over… my life is over.**_

_**All the memories are slowly fading away**_

Neji was holding Sakura in his strong arms, while she sobbed and sobbed into his chest. It was like it was just the two of them… no, Neji pushed the thought out of his head, Sakura was sad, and he could never, _ever _take advantage of her like that.

"W-why was I a-always suck a-a coward? I should have told him… then, we'd be in love, and everything would be g-good…" Sakura lifted her head and stared up at Neji, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

And Sakura noticed something she never had before, his pearl eyes.

They were beautiful.

_Her heart skipped two beats._

_**She pretended to be nice to me,**_

_**To be a friend to me**_

_**And I fell for it…**_

_**I took the bate**_

_**Why did it have to end this way?**_

_**It was a stab in the heart**_

_**Killing all my happy sparks**_

_**I've hated fate right from the start.**_

"When Ino said she wanted to be my friend again, it was just so that she could get to Sasuke!" She had finally managed to stop crying, and she was pissed. "She used me!"

And somehow, in the mess of all this, she noticed how fit her friend was… he even had a-a six pack! That was rare, no matter what people said about all ninja's being super fit, this was just... wow.

_Her heart skipped 3 beats._

_**Why didn't I tell you sooner?**_

_**Why didn't you listen better?**_

_**Why didn't we get together-er?**_

_**There was no reason why I was being such a coward**_

_**Now my chance is over… my life is over.**_

_**All the memories are slowly fading away**_

"I didn't tell him! _Why_ didn't I tell him? I'm so stupid, I'm so, so stupid! I was so slow! I was so… so…" Her voice cut off when she felt warm breath near her ear.

"You didn't tell him, can you live with that?" His voice sent shivers down her spine.

_Her heart skipped 4 beats._

_**I'm forgetting all the good times, if there were any.**_

_**I'm remembering all the bad times, there were plenty**_

_**I'm starting to think I was sad from the start.**_

_**But I hope the hate never came from the heart**_

_**And I wonder has anything changed since I met you?**_

_**Was hurting me one of your many arts?**_

_**Now the smile you brought is fading away**_

_**Along with the memories day by day**_

As she thought of all the times she had with Sasuke, she realized something: Sasuke had _always_ hurt her, from beginning to start.

'Were there any happy memories?' she slowly asked herself, and she instantly knew the answer to Neji's question.

"Yeah, Neji, I think I can…" She leaned against his chest, noticing that he was soaked from her tears. "Wa-a-ah! I'm so sorry Neji! I didn't mean to get your shirt so wet!"

"It's fine." He told her, shaking his head slightly and smiling at her reassuringly. He brought his arms up, taking the wet shirt off his lean body. In the process, he knocked his hair out of it's elastic, leaving his silky brown hair cascading around him.

She was right in front of a brown haired goddess.

_Her heart skipped 5 beats._

_**Why didn't I tell you sooner?**_

_**Why didn't you listen better?**_

_**Why didn't we get together-er?**_

_**There was no reason why I was being such a coward**_

_**Now my chance is over… my life is over.**_

_**All the memories are slowly fading away**_

He carefully brought his hand to her face, and traced the outline of her jaw, leaving her in a daze. She could only see stars.

And to make matters worse, Neji leaned closer, using his husky, sexy voice to say, "It's going to be all right."

_Her heart skipped 6 beats._

_**Now that I'm looking back at all the dark days**_

_**And I know the truth**_

_**I'm starting to feel relieved that I never got to say**_

_**The thing I went to tell that day**_

'_**Cause I realize your only a waste of my time**_

_**And I'm starting to wonder how I could love you.**_

She laughed, and she finally felt real, and right… and free. "It _is_going to be alright, thank you Neji!"

She watched as Neji stared at her face, as if studying her. She became nervous. Just before she was about to say something, Neji interrupted her, "Then you don't love anyone?"

The question surprised her, but the answer was so obvious that she was astonished she had never thought of it before. But then again, maybe she had.

A blush slowly rose to her face and she sighed, "I think I've loved someone all along…"

She watched him closely, gauging his expression, which was somewhere between a smirk and a smile. That was good, she hoped.

"Well, who is it?" he asked timidly, shifting her off his lap so he could stand up. Following his actions, she stood up also.

But now she was extra nervous… although, she knew what to say.

Sakura cleared her throat, her heart fluttering at the thought of the person in front of her.

"It's, um… it's yo-" Soft lips atop hers broke off her voice, and she never got to finish her sentence, but they both knew what she was going to say.

The lips on hers were Neji's, and with his arms around her, she had never felt like she belonged so much.

_She couldn't breathe._

_**I'm glad I didn't tell you sooner**_

_**I'm glad you didn't listen better**_

_**I'm glad we didn't get together-er**_

_**I'm glad I was being such a coward**_

_**I'm glad my chance is over**_

_**My life has finally started**_

A Hearts Beat

**A/N: Did you like it? I hope so, I enjoyed writing it!**

**P.s. The **'She couldn't breathe' **part meant that her heart skipped so many beats that she couldn't breathe. Thanks for reading!**

**drama3chic**

**xoxo**


	2. AN

Thank you to anyone who reviewed my story, back before it was... polished. This is the newly re-edited version. Thanks again!

Signed,

drama3chic


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